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Glite Dictionary
nine-banded armadillo

nine-banded armadillo

9.1
A small animal with nine bands of hard armor that lives in parts of North and South America
  • noun
  • /naɪn ˈbændɪd ɑːrˈmædɪloʊ/
  • US
translation icon : armadillo de nueve bandas
  • The nine-banded armadillo is known for its unique appearance.

Examples

  • The distinctive armor of the nine-banded armadillo helps protect it from predators.

  • The nine-banded armadillo is often seen crossing roads in southern United States at night.

  • Researchers studied the habits of the nine-banded armadillo to understand its spread into new territories.

  • Have you ever seen a nine-banded armadillo in the wild?

  • The nine-banded armadillo is known for its unique shell made of bony plates.

  • You can often see a nine-banded armadillo wandering through the grasslands of Texas.

  • Researchers study the nine-banded armadillo to learn more about leprosy and its effects.

Synonyms

Dasypus novemcinctus
vsnine-banded armadillo
  • Specialized
9.9

An animal with nine hard plates on its back that lives from Texas to South America

has identical meaning but is the common English name
Texas armadillo
vsnine-banded armadillo
  • US
7.8

A small animal with nine bands of hard plates that lives from Texas to Paraguay

has identical meaning but is the widely accepted standard name
peba
vsnine-banded armadillo
  • US
9.9

A small armadillo with nine bands of hard plates that lives from Texas to Paraguay

has identical meaning but is the general English species name

How Big

Priodontes giganteus
  • Specialized
9.9
nine-banded armadillo
  • US
9.1

Surface Forms

nine-banded armadillo singular
nine-banded armadillos plural

Morphology

nine-banded + armadillo

The phrase is fully compositional: 'nine-banded' straightforwardly means 'having nine bands' and 'armadillo' names the animal, so the compound denotes an armadillo with nine bands of plates. This numeral+adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Nine-banded armadillo paints a simple picture: nine shows the number of flexible bony 'bands' in its shell and armadillo comes from Spanish meaning 'little armored one', so the name describes a small armored animal with nine bands.